Children learn what it means to be a girl or boy through pretend play. The toys parents and guardians choose to fill their child's shelves with has a major impact on that child's behavior. Toys are a powerful tool used to teach children gender-stereotyped behaviors. Toy stores often have separate sections for boys and girls. Boys toys often give the message that actively, aggressive behavior is okay, while girls toys teach them to nurture and take care of their appearance. While it is fine for a girl to have a room full of pink, she easily might enjoy building with legos or crashing cars. Boys might easily enjoy taking a break from building block towers and wrestling to play house and cook in a pretend kitchen.
When children play, they figure out how things work. Children understand that they can solve problems, learn to talk and share ideas with others, develop and express their imagination and creativity, learn about themselves, others, and the world and express their feelings and energy in healthy ways (Spodek & Saracho, 1987).
Advertisements for toys also help reinforce the same gender stereotypes. By giving a child gender-stereotyped toys parents actually limit their freedom to explore different roles. Besides their obvious biological differences, boys and girls generally don’t have many differences when it comes to play. Meaning it is unnecessary to impose gender stereotypes, suggesting that gender-neutral play in young children should be encouraged.
These ads from Toys R Us have a way with their advertising sales. The ability to take toys, appeal them to both genders, and still get little children to crave their creations is magical. Their magazines are full of non gender toy ads that grab the attention from little boys and girls everywhere. The common contradiction that boys and girls should have seperate toys is erased in their advertisements. Toys R Us does an amazing job when it comes to selling gender neutral toys.
When children play, they figure out how things work. Children understand that they can solve problems, learn to talk and share ideas with others, develop and express their imagination and creativity, learn about themselves, others, and the world and express their feelings and energy in healthy ways (Spodek & Saracho, 1987).
Advertisements for toys also help reinforce the same gender stereotypes. By giving a child gender-stereotyped toys parents actually limit their freedom to explore different roles. Besides their obvious biological differences, boys and girls generally don’t have many differences when it comes to play. Meaning it is unnecessary to impose gender stereotypes, suggesting that gender-neutral play in young children should be encouraged.
These ads from Toys R Us have a way with their advertising sales. The ability to take toys, appeal them to both genders, and still get little children to crave their creations is magical. Their magazines are full of non gender toy ads that grab the attention from little boys and girls everywhere. The common contradiction that boys and girls should have seperate toys is erased in their advertisements. Toys R Us does an amazing job when it comes to selling gender neutral toys.